Like A Boy
A Code Lyoko fic by Madame Halie
Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.
Chapter 2: The Bet
Ulrich offered to help Yumi with her books. She refused.
I'll never understand women, Ulrich thought, yesterday she wanted more attention; today she's rejecting it.
Yumi sat at their usual lunch table and Ulrich sat beside her. Aelita had ordered for them so they started eating.
"Where's Odd?" Ulrich asked.
A scathing look from Aelita squelched that question.
"The idiotic genius struck again?" Yumi asked.
Aelita groaned.
"Why can't I just dump him," Aelita said upset.
"Maybe you love him," Ulrich suggested.
Aelita gave him a dirty 'DUH' look.
Well my luck with females sucks, Ulrich thought.
"Aelita," Sissy said walking over.
Okay, now I KNOW my luck with females has been shot, Ulrich thought.
"What do you want Sissy?" Yumi asked dangerously.
"Har, har," Sissi said sarcastically, "anyway, Odd needs his demo CD, the one labelled Blonde Nova," she told Aelita.
"Why would Odd ask you to get it for him?" Ulrich asked.
"Because after Odd's done I'm borrowing it Sweet Ulrich," Sissy said smiling, "and he said it's better to send me than Emily," she continued, "muttered that she's not the best person to send here right now," she added not understanding what it meant.
Aelita jumped to her feet, her face burning in anger.
"And you were his second choice?" Aelita snarled.
Sissi fearfully stepped back.
"Um, I think he's interested in the demo making equipment I have," Sissi said fearfully stepping back.
Aelita soon calmed down.
"Here," Ulrich said handing her the CD, "Aelita showed it to me in Chem class," he revealed, "I didn't get it back to her because of the teacher."
"Thank you," Sissi said taking it, "even if your friend tried to rip my head off!" she shouted in reference to Aelita.
"I could always cover for her," yumi offered.
Sissi gulped then ran off.
Both Aelita and Yumi burst out laughing.
But Ulrich wasn't even smiling.
"This is behaviour I'd expect from Sissi," Ulrich told them.
All laughter ceased.
"What did you just say?" Yumi asked glaring at Ulrich darkly.
"Nothing I just…" Ulrich started.
"Defended Sissi," Aelita finished.
"Hey, you guys were being really hard on her," Ulrich criticized.
He has to be joking, Yumi thought.
Dead man walking, Aelita thought.
"You couldn't find anything constructive to say to Sissi," Yumi said angry, "but you can criticize us?"
"I gave her the CD," Ulrich pointed out.
"Oh and I guess her going 'Sweet Ulrich' was her way of thanking you in advance?" Yumi snapped.
"Don't be such bitch Yumi," Ulrich said after sighing.
There were gasps throughout the lunchroom.
Ulrich realized what he had just said.
Oh f…, Ulrich thought.
"Is that what you think of me?" Yumi asked dumbfounded, "that I'm a bitch?"
"Yumi I didn't mean…" Ulrich started, "I'm sorry," he apologized.
The lunchroom waited for Yumi's response.
"I don't accept your apology," Yumi said coldly, "you know why?" she asked with clenched fists.
Ulrich didn't respond.
"You don't appreciate me," Yumi said shocking everyone, "you treat me like furniture one moment and the girl who just happens to be your girlfriend the next."
"Would you rather that I was a twenty-four hour jerk?" Ulrich asked.
Yumi looked at Ulrich as he was the world's biggest idiot.
"You are already a jerk Ulrich," Yumi told him, "you're just quieter about it," she added.
Ulrich chuckled.
She just doesn't get it, Ulrich thought.
"You'll never understand it from my perspective," Ulrich said, "at least Aelita's open minded," he said, "you, you just make a decision and then your mind's closed," he told her.
"What about you?" Yumi demanded, "our relationship's hot as a naked man in Alaska!" she shouted.
The laughter roaring through the lunchroom only fuelled Ulrich's anger.
"And whose fault's that?" Ulrich snapped.
Yumi was ready to respond. Then she realized something.
"It's my fault Ulrich," Yumi said.
Listeners in the lunchroom were so shocked that some of them fainted.
"Yumi, what are saying?" Aelita asked incredulously.
Yumi took her hand.
"Aelita, I commend you," Yumi said to her, "you're willing to do anything to make a relationship work," she pointed out, "me, I've finally realized that it's time to set sail," she decided sadly letting go of Aelita's hand.
Everyone else in the lunchroom was stunned.
Even Sissi was too shocked to celebrate.
"Y…You're…dumping me?" Ulrich stuttered.
"What else can I do Ulrich?" Yumi asked, "I'm not happy," she said, "maybe you can shift between happy and unhappy, but I can't," she told him, "not in this relationship," she finished.
"But we have the dance," Ulrich protested, "Yumi, I want to go with you."
Yumi looked into Ulrich's pleading eyes. He seemed so desperate, so full of love. The aloof boy had disappeared.
If only this could last forever, Yumi thought.
Then Yumi had an idea.
"Ulrich," Yumi said, "I'll take you back under one condition," she said to him.
"Okay," Ulrich agreed without even hearing what the condition was.
"That you and Odd agree to a bet," Yumi said shocking Aelita, "if he's not on board with you," she continued, "it's over between us," she finished.
"Um Yumi," Aelita said, "I don't know what the bet is."
"That we act more like our boyfriends for three months," Yumi said, "see if they can hack it."
"What?" Ulrich asked amused.
"You think it's funny?" Yumi asked, "it starts tomorrow," she added.
"What!" Ulrich cried.
"Tick tock," Yumi teased.
"Yumi," Aelita said upset, "I can't…I can't do Odd," she told her.
"All you need to do is be a little more open," Yumi told Aelita, "smile at a few boys, giggle and wave back when they wave, dress a little bit sexy, date a guy," she listed, "choose one, choose ten," she said, "just choose something freeing," she said simply.
"So I don't have to…" Aelita started.
"NO!" Yumi shouted disgusted.
"Thank God!" Aelita cried in relief.
"Thank God what?" Odd asked stepping into the lunchroom.
Aelita's face darkened.
"Heh," Odd said nervously.
"Hey Odd," Ulrich said waving.
"Hi," Odd said in a small voice.
"It's okay, come over," Ulrich urged.
Odd looked fearfully at Aelita and Yumi.
"It's okay," Ulrich told him, "they won't harm you," he said, "in fact, they have a proposition."
"A propo…what?" Odd asked walking over.
"For three months they're going to act more like us," Ulrich revealed.
After a moment of silence Odd burst out laughing.
"They, behaving like us?" Odd said rolling on the floor, "Yumi couldn't last a day and Aelita couldn't last 20 seconds!"
"Odd!" Ulrich shouted angrily, "that's your girlfriend you're talking about!"
What am I chopped liver? Yumi thought, oh he's so getting it when this bet starts.
"I'm sorry," Odd apologized getting up, "but Yumi's outspoken and Aelita's shy," he stated, "they can't do us."
"Want to bet?" Aelita asked angered by his words, "I'll do you everyday starting tomorrow," she declared.
"Good luck," Odd said frankly.
"Wait," Ulrich said, "what happens if either side loses?" he asked.
Yumi was dumbfounded.
I never thought of that, Yumi realized.
"Um, if…" Yumi started.
"I want a celibate relationship if I win," Aelita interrupted, "no other girls."
Odd looked shocked.
"Someone's scared," a student said.
Laughter broke out throughout the lunchroom.
"Well, if I win I want you to be more open with me," Odd declared.
Aelita paused for a moment.
Am I really prepared for this? Aelita thought, if I lose…
"Hi Odd," Emily said flirtatiously from another table.
Odd waved back with a smirk.
"I agree," Aelita said immediately.
"What!" Ulrich cried.
"Aelita, are you crazy?" Yumi demanded.
"About proving him wrong," Aelita responded, "deal?" she asked Odd.
"You bet," Odd said, "prepare a spot for me," he said and kissed her cheek.
"Asshole," Aelita muttered.
The shock radiating from the lunchroom could've caused a seizure. Aelita never cursed.
"I think the bet starts tomorrow," a male student teased.
Aelita went bright red.
Yumi's glare silenced the male teen from further taunting.
"If I win Ulrich," Yumi said turning her attention to Ulrich, "I'd like more respect and attention," she said seriously, "I mean it," she added noticing Ulrich's blank face.
What's up with the… Ulrich thought, I'm going to pay for calling her a bitch for the rest of my life, he realized, I just know it.
"I want you to be more submissive if I win," Ulrich said, "and no more mixed messages," he added.
"Okay," Yumi agreed.
This surprised Ulrich.
"Um, so," Ulrich said.
"The bet starts tomorrow," Yumi said getting up, "you guys can be yourselves."
"What's the catch?" Odd asked.
"No catch," Yumi responded, "we act different while you stay the same."
Aelita pouted.
Odd noticed.
"If I lose I'll go on a diet," Odd declared.
"What?" Aelita asked.
"Aside from the original bet I'm adding an additional penalty if I lose," Odd said proudly.
"Why?" Aelita asked bewildered.
"Because I'll win," Odd said grinning.
Aelita screamed.
"You're intolerable!" Aelita screamed storming off, "and by the way, you'd die of starvation if you went on a diet!" she shouted before leaving the lunchroom.
"After he turns invisible," Herve added.
"Yeah he's already thin enough already," Nicolas chimed in.
Odd went bright red.
"I'm going after Aelita," Yumi said, "bye Ulrich."
Odd pouted as Yumi left.
"Did you really expect her to say goodbye to you?" Ulrich asked.
"It would've been nice," Odd responded.
Ulrich groaned.
Does he have any idea how close we are to losing our girlfriends? Ulrich thought, he's such an ass, no wonder Aelita wants to leave.
Ulrich sighed.
But Yumi, Ulrich thought, she might leave me, he realized, I have to win this bet.
"Do you think Aelita will last five, or ten minutes on this bet?" Odd asked.
"I don't…" Ulrich started, "are you taking bets!" he shouted.
"Only on Aelita and I," Odd said quickly.
"Hmph, yeah right," Sissi muttered loudly.
"Hey!" Odd shouted.
"Forget it," Ulrich said turning to his lunch, "let's just eat."
"Fifty bucks Odd can't sit through lunch without eating or speaking!" a student cried.
"I can too!" Odd exploded.
"You already lost Odd," Ulrich pointed out calmly.
"Argh!" Odd screamed.
The laughter in the lunchroom only put salt on Ulrich's inner wounds.
It reminded him that Yumi's threat, or more precisely bet was real.
She might actually leave me, Ulrich thought.
"I better shape up," Ulrich decided, "I can't lose Yumi, I just can't."
"Oh crap I forgot to get my lunch!" Odd shouted and ran for the lunch line.
"Now that's a shocker," Ulrich said actually smiling for the first time since making that fateful bet.
Aelita lay in her dorm room staring at the ceiling.I'm going to lose, Aelita thought in despair.
Suddenly there was a knock on her door.
Aelita knew it was after two in the morning. No one was supposed to be wandering the halls now.
Who would be knocking so late? Aelita wondered.
Aelita opened the door to see Odd.
"What are you doing here?" Aelita asked incredulously, "you trying to get me in trouble?"
"I wouldn't act like that," Odd teased.
"The bet starts at class time you dumb…" Aelita whispered angrily.
"Better," Odd interrupted.
"Ugh!" Aelita shouted slamming the door.
"I'm so going to win," Odd said victoriously returning to his dorm room.
Chapter CompletedOh what a sweetheart. Anyway, yes the bet is set. Three months, two couples, two girls on a path of vengeance. Boy is someone's life gonna suck. Yay, I have 10 reviews for chapter one. Eight of them very close together. I'm so happy. Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Now those who've read this one, thank you and please review.